Robert Craddock: Where does Ponga fit for Maroons?

QUEENSLAND coach Kevin Walters will next week unveil his Maroons side for the State of Origin series opener.

With Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk all retired from representative duty, it shapes as one of the most intriguing team selections in recent memory.

Ahead of the Maroons announcement, chief sports writer Robert 'Crash' Craddock names his Maroons team for game one at the MCG.

ROBERT CRADDOCK'S QUEENSLAND TEAM

1 Billy Slater

2 Valentine Holmes

3 Greg Inglis

4 Will Chambers

5 Dane Gagai

6 Cameron Munster

7 Ben Hunt

8 Matt Scott

9 Andrew McCullough

10 Dylan Napa

11 Gavin Cooper

12 Felise Kaufusi

13 Josh McGuire

14 Michael Morgan

15 Daly Cherry-Evans

16 Jarrod Wallace

17 Jai Arrow

Kalyn Ponga

TOUGHEST CALL: It was hard to say goodbye to Darius Boyd because of his decade-long State of Origin career but he has been 10 per cent below his best this year and into that space swept Valentine Holmes.

CRUELLEST CUT: Kalyn Ponga, the form player in the competition, somehow missed my squad. I'm not happy about it but just could not find a suitable space.

ON THE VERGE: Ponga has to be there soon and Ash Taylor is looming on the horizon but if he plays this series Queensland will have lost games.